Birmingham Magazine Spotlight-June 2007

June 13, 2007

American Family Care Celebrates
25 Years of Offering Alabamians
“Quality Healthcare Close to Home ”

The concept on which American Family Care was founded traces its roots to a tragic train accident in 1949. In October 1949, Dr. D. Bruce Irwin’s mother was pregnant with the fifth of her six children when her husband lost both of his legs in a train accident in Atmore, Alabama.Dr. Irwin grew up in a home that was short on many of today’s standard household items—no phone, television, or family car—but it was long on dedication and the commitment to a strong work ethic that stressed self reliance. With his mother as the family’s primary provider, Dr. Irwin’s first job, at six years old, was shining shoes in a barber shop. His school day began after wheeling his father every morning to the shoe shop where he worked in a limited capacity. Irwin’s childhood revolved around the doctors, nurses, and hospitals that cared for his father and his experiences and exposure to the industry convinced him that his own future lay in healthcare. A scholarship to Birmingham–Southern College was followed by Medical School at UAB with residency there and at the University of South Alabama. He turned this childhood adversity into a reality when he founded American Family Care.

After working as an emergency room physician for three years in the late ’70s and ’80s, he discovered that there was a huge gap in the our healthcare delivery system. He envisioned a mini-clinic designed, equipped, and staffed to provide comprehensive family healthcare, minor emergency treatment, and occupational healthcare at a reasonable cost. This was a radical concept in the 1980s, which had not been practiced anywhere in the South and was viewed with skepticism by the traditional medical community.

He did not let what others thought stop him from accomplishing his vision because his mother had raised him not to abandon an idea simply because it was unconventional. He put together a business plan, arranged financing, and in June 1982, he opened the first American Family Care Medical Facility on Highway 31 in Hoover. After Dr. Irwin opened the first clinic and added four others, he was again faced with opposition and he had to fight for his dream. Despite opposition and a legal battle, he continued to focus on his vision. In 1997, he decided to expand and rebuild the company he founded. He added seven facilities to the company’s original five. He knew God had definitely given him another opportunity to fulfill his vision.

Between 2001 and 2006, the company concentrated on improving current operations, building cash reserves and preparing for a renewed expansion campaign. Dr. Irwin states, “We renovated and updated all of our facilities and significantly improved and upgraded our information systems. In May 2006, we completed a conversion to GE Centricity Practice Management System. This will significantly improve clinic operations as well as claims processing and cash collections. It will also substantially improve reporting capability. Late last year we began the process of development and implementation of electronic medical records. We expect this to be fully implemented by Winter, 2007. This will improve the quality of our medical records while eliminating the need for paper records and the related cost of storage. In August 2006, we opened our newest facility in Madison, Alabama. This is a 7,400 square foot facility and is designed to handle a high volume of patients with multiple physicians. Also, the same year we purchased and renovated an existing facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Both of these facilities compliment our Whitesburg facility, also located in Huntsville. Our plans include adding one additional facility in the Huntsville area.

Our newest location is our Alabaster clinic which opened January, 2007. This year we will relocate our Irondale facility to the new Eastwood Village. Also, we have purchased property on Highway 280 in the Greystone area of Birmingham. We anticipate construction to begin in Fall, 2007. It is our goal to open an average of three new facilities each year over the next five years. In 2008, we anticipate opening additional facilities in Birmingham and Mobile. We have identified several areas where expansion would compliment our current operations.”

Today, American Family Care has thirteen locations in Birmingham, three in Huntsville, two in Montgomery, two in Mobile and still growing. A typical facility is open seven days a week with no appointment necessary and is located in an area convenient to both residential areas and the local business industry. American Family Care employs over 400 people and sees about 350,000 patients annually. We are the largest independent provider of healthcare services in Alabama. In addition, American Family Care also offers specialty services including General Surgery, Nephrology, and ENT along with Physical Therapy and prescription services.

On June 14, 2007 American Family Care marked its 25th Anniversary. We are very excited about this accomplishment because Dr. Irwin’s vision and mission for healthcare is the same today as it was in 1982 when he founded American Family Care–“Our mission statement is to provide the best healthcare possible, in a kind and caring environment, while respecting the rights of all patients, in an economical manner, at times and locations convenient to the patient.”